On Tuesday night, Coppell Mayor Wes Mays officially declared April 2025 as Volunteer Month, commending the community members who donate their time to support Coppell’s growth and spirit.
City secretary Ashley Owens echoed the sentiment, recognizing the vital role volunteers play in city life.
“I’m very honored to be working with y’all on a monthly basis,” Owens said. “You are the reason we get to do all the things we get to do. And it’s just a great honor to be able to say Coppell has the best volunteers in the world, period.”
Mayor Mays also proclaimed the week of April 6–12 as National Library Week, highlighting the role libraries play in bringing people together, fueling imagination and encouraging lifelong learning. The city recognized the Cozby Library and Community Commons as a pillar of the community.
“Whenever I’ve done interviews for the library board, those are the most fun interviews I’ve ever done,” Mays said. “You folks are just so passionate about what you do, so it’s just a big thank you from me to you.”
During the citizen appearance portion of the meeting, several residents spoke about concerns surrounding Rolling Oaks Memorial Center, emphasizing the need to preserve the cemetery’s character and integrity.
“It’s very disturbing to see, y’know, signs that are put up for spring sales and things like that,” Coppell resident Alan Marker said. “It looks like a used car lot out there sometimes. That’s just not a place for that type of advertising.”
Felicia Raphel, a 22-year Coppell resident with a loved one recently buried at Rolling Oaks, urged the council to uphold the promises made when the cemetery was first established.
“I’m here tonight to ask each of you as representatives of this community to honor the promises that were made when Rolling Oaks was established,” Raphel said. “A promise to maintain and operate that community as you would any other Coppell neighborhood — because that’s what it is to me and to those of us who meet there daily, every day, for almost 365 days.”
Raphel said her decision to settle in Coppell was grounded in the city’s values.
“I’m very proud to be a part of this community and even more proud to say that that’s where I will lay in my final state,” she said. “And I would like it to remain as is as much as possible under the supervision of this city because I trust that you will operate it with honor and respect.”
Kamille Grey, whose son was laid to rest at Rolling Oaks last year, described the cemetery as more than just a resting place.
“It’s not just another cemetery,” Grey said. “It’s special because of the community, the families that I’ve met since the past year when I lost my son, and I am so grateful to have been a part of such a beautiful place.”
Later in the meeting, the Council approved the bid for Cole Construction to renovate the Coppell Dog Park, called the Dog Park Reconstruction Plan. The $1.93 million project is expected to begin in summer 2025 and will include expanding the dog park size, adding an additional large dog area and an all-weather synthetic turf area, improving drainage and irrigation systems, upgrading the fencing, and other improvements.
The project was met with support from the Council, emphasizing its importance to the community.
“This is definitely a big ticket item, but it is one of the highly requested features for the city. A lot of residents have asked for it,” council member Ramesh Premkumar said.
Mays concluded the meeting by announcing upcoming city events. The Budget Town Hall will be held Thursday from 6–8 p.m. at the Cozby Library and Community Commons, featuring updates on the Vision 2040 plan, an interactive activity and open Q&A session. On Saturday, the Neighbors Helping Neighbors event will kick off at Town Center from 8–9 a.m., connecting volunteers with residents in need of assistance with home maintenance and repairs.
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